Fuel-reserve device



2 Smeets-Sheet- 2 R. E. SCHIEBER FUEL RESERVE DEVICE Filed May 31, 1924 July 7, 1925.

Patented July 7, 1925.

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`33013331392?CE. SCHIEBER, OF..DETRGIT.1VIIGHIGAN.

runniinsnavnr DEVICE.

(Applicationmedi/May 31, v1924. #Serial No.1717508'7.

.and State ofzMichig-an; have invented f certain new and E aiseful :Improvements in Fuelneeerve Devices, ofwl11oh the following isA a specification, referencebeing Jhad `therein to `the AVaccompanyingdrawings.

This `invention .relates to f that;y class of tanks .Y or receptaclesv providedmvithy atmospheric Y vents sor .that @liquid .may sflowafrom a dischargeopening. '-Asani incident of such a tank 'El refer, hereinafter;` to-f.al.;gaeoli.ne fuel tank having a discharge "opening, a lilling..opening7 a cap or. closureiffor theffilling opening :with saidf cap `.or closure.. providedow-itha vent. `l'lhis type `of fuel tank is commonly used inf connection with automo- -biles f vThe `primary obj ectf-o't'. my invention is to :furnieh such :a .f fuel tank 'avith novel means for closing `the V atmc"lspl-ieric #ventthereof7 ata predetermined.timefso that a reserve quantity.ofifuelwilliibetemporarily retained in the tank,fy tl-iusfprevenbing lthe entire supply `of'fuel .being used Withoi'it4 a warning v'that :such ,supply is about Y to @be 'exl-iaustcd. "'Fhis applies to;, motorists who often run out offfuelsomeldistance'from ,a fuel station and experience somef trouble in reaching such stati-on.

VAnother 4object-of my-f invention .isf .to7 provide a fuelreserve-device solely A*supported from the cap or closnreofl the lfuel tank-and my device-with Vits cap can befreadily subetitutedffor theaisual form/'of cap7 conseqnently there Vis-aflargeexploitation yfield in which my device may `grow useful.

A- further `'object (5f-my invention is yto provide a fuel reserve device: yembodying a' float-actuated normally open valve ffor the vent of a fuel tank1 and associatedwvith the Aioat of the device isa tension device'adapted to hold the valvel closed--against-accidental uneating during the operation-of-anauto mobile having a fuel tank equippedivith the device.-

The above and other objects are atta-ined by .a construction that-will be hereinafter described and 4then claimed, andA reference will now be had to the drawing;wherein- Figure l is a vertical sectional-view of a portion of a fuel tank vhavinga cap provided with the ffuel f reserve: device, show-ing 2 .the

valve `*of Said 4device in its ...normally open position;

wliig; fisasimilar view Showing the valve in .a closed position; y

*Fi-g.' 3 is a vertical sectionalI vie-w ofa portion .of a modied lforinuf device,l particularly .theiloat thereof,d and l illustratesa modified" form of valve that rmay fori'n part `of the ldevice, and

lFig. 2.5 is -a :vertical` sectional l view of -a further form-.of my invention.,

AInf/the drawing the/reference A.numeral l Ide-notes .a tank -having the bottom thereof providede with a dieeharge- -opening 2 forla quantity :-ofgasol-i-ne- Or-ctherfuel B within the tank. l'llhefuelis `placed inthe tank tl-irough anii'lling opening l havingan interiorly screwthreaded connection 5* for -a vcap G-pifov'tided withl a vent opening-'T and a linger orti-iut.; portioneS. lThecap 6l-may be of anywe-'ll-'known forni -havi-ng a vent openingiairdfmy deviceis afdapted to be supported ini =its-ei1itiretyf by said; cap.

My device f comprises va valve rod 9 which, according toi Figs.; l; andf2, Inormally extends through the vent-open-ing andffhas .the upper Lend. thereofl -provided'with valve l0 ada-ptedto seat on the- -ca-p (3c-and close the upperfend of 1 the Y vent, thus shutting f oil atmospheric communication for the 2 tank. The valve-1() may loev of-sphericalj-form Yso that' it lmay -be conveniently'used asaknob cir-handle for manually.raising the valve rod-9. i

ASiu-itably. mounted on the lower. end ofthe valvegrodf) and normallyimmersed in the quantity-of fuelB is affloat or buoyant body llthat may conveniently bea piece of cork of cylindricalform. :AS 'the'l'fu'ehflows from the-tank and the! level lowered, as shown in Fig. 1,'-the MSfloatill lowers for permits` the valvel() to close'by gravity, shutting :off communication -with `lthe atmosphere and preventing` fi11,tlier*low of' the-fuel, consequently' azquantity of the fuel will be held in reserve inl theftank untilthe valve is opened. This may be manually.,accomplished to: permit of enough fuel flowingy to -the carhureter ofan internal combustion engine so thatithe engine: may be operated` to move auf-,automobile lto a-'fuelsupply station. At. suchstation the cap'G is removed, carrying witlrit 4my device, and when the cap is' a coupling member 31.

replaced the valve 10 is automatically raised by the float 11 being sustained by the fuel within the tank,

In order that my device may be of a substantial nature, I may inclose the float 11 by a two part cylindrical casing 12 apertured, as at 13 to permit 0f fuel entering a casing. The casing is supported by a tube 14 inclosing the valve rod 9 and the upper end of the tube 9 is fitted into the enlarged lower end of the vent 7, thus providing a rigid structure relative to the cap 6.

For fear that the vibrations of an automobile may prev-ent the valve 10 from sealing the vent 7 I prefer t-o use a tension device which is located within the casing 12 above the float 11. -On the valve rod 9 I place a collar orsupport 15 for acup member 16 supporting the coiled spring 17 encircling the valve rod 9 and bearing against the upper end of the casing 12. The tension of this-spring is sufficient to hold the valve 10 firmly seated on the cap 6 when the float 11 is lowered, but the expansive force of said spring does not interfere with the float 11 maintaining the valve 10 open when said float is fully immersed in fuel.

As shown in Fig. 3 I may use a different type of spring 18; provide the casing 19 with a bottom opening 2O adapt-ed to be closed by a valve 21 at the lower end of the iioat 22 on a valve rod 23, and this valve rod, according to Fig. 4, may have a conical valve 26 at its upper end adapted to close atmospheric ports 27 in an enlargement 28 forming part of the cap 29. The cap 29 may have a detachable apertured plug 30 to permit of the valve 26 being installed.

Reference will now be had to Fig'. 5, showing a form of device wherein the casing 12 is off-set relative to the tube 14, and connected to said tube'by a coupling member 31. The lower end of the valve rod 9 extends into the coupling member and is provided with a head 32 engaging the inner end 33 of a lever 34 pivoted in the lower slotted end of Encircling the valve rod 9, within the coupling member, is a coiled expansion spring 35 which holds the valve 10 normally seated. The lever 34 eX- tends over the central portion of the vfioat 11 and it is obvious that when the float is raised there will be a cam action at the head 32 which causes the valve 10 to be unseated and admit air to Athe tank 1. It will be noted that t-he tank 1 is supported'v by the coupling member 31 co-axially ofthe cap G, so that the casing y12 may be moved through the filling opening 4 of the tank.

It is thought that the utility of my devices will be apparent without further description, and while in the drawing there are illustrated the preferred embodiments of my invention it is to be understood that the structural velements are susceptible to having a filling opening, a cap for the tank TU opening, said cap having an atmospheric vent so that fuel may flow from said tank, a float controlled valve carried by said cap adapted to seat on said cap by gravity to close said cap vent when a predetermined quantity of fuel is in said tank, and a tension device holding said valve seated on said cap.

2. In a fuel i reserve device for a fuel tank having a discharge opening, a filling opening and a vent with the vent disposed to admit air to the tank so that fuel may flow from theA discharge opening of said tank, afloat ,controlled valve for the tank vent adapted to close the vent after a quantity of fuel flows from said tank, and a tension device associated with the float of said valve and adapted to hold said valve closed.

3. In a fuel reserve device for a tank having a filling opening, a cap for the tank opening, said caphaving an atmospheric vent so thatfuel may flow from said tank,

a valve for the cap vent, an apertured easing supported from said cap, and'means in said casing under the influence of fuelv in said tank adapted to hold said valve normally open and cause said valve to close over the vent opening when fuel reaches a low predetermined level in said tank.

4. A fuel reserve device as called for in claim 3,7wherein said means includes a float and artension device ywith said device arranged to hold the valve to its seat.

5. A fuel tank having a discharge opening and a. filling opening, a cap for the filling opening of the tank, said cap having a vent so that fuel may flow from the `discharge opening of said tank, a tube carried by said caepl and communicating with the vent thereof, an apertured casing carried by said tube, a rod in said tube extending into the cap vent and into said casing, a valve on said rod adapted to seat on said cap and close the vent thereof, and a. float on said rod in said casing and buOyant in and on the fuel int-he tank to hold said valve normally open Vand adapted to close said valve When the fuel in said tank reaches a predetermined level. Y

G. A fuel tank as called for in claim 5, and a spring in said casing adapted to prevent accidental unseating of the valve when seated on said cap. i

In testimony whereof I aiiix my `signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT E. SCHIEBER. 

